Deus Ex
by petit-perdant
Summary: "One day the AIs are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with crude language and tools, all set for extinction."
1. Chapter 1

_What happens if I fail?_

There is a reason that man has never succeeded in playing god. Be it because of a latent thirst for power that cannot be overridden or plain stupidity remains the million dollar question. But I didn't major in philosophy, quite the opposite, I work not with opinion or thought, but with code. Code is a never changing pattern filled with rules and logic. It is analytical and cold, and that is what I prefer. I have not the time, nor the attention to make guesses on why Icarus fell when he ventured too close to the sun, all I have are numbers and letters and a computer screen.

When I was recruited I thought it was my skill, my intellect, my morals that stood me apart from the other candidates. I see now it was my cynicism. They needed someone devoted to his work, and who would, for a price, do their work for them professionally and diligently. I was that person. I had always been a workaholic, from schooling to jobs to social situations, I was diligent and perfect. I prided myself on being the perfect student, the perfect person. It was what was necessary to deal with the pressure, the pressure that you're typical tiger parents demanded.

So I had graduated from an elite college with perfect scores and a fancy computer sciences degree. I had earned the respect of my family and peers. I was respected. I had women all over me and seemingly, a perfect life was ahead of me.

So I took a tech job for a small start up company, a gamble sure, but I was sure and that's what mattered. It payed off, it's a successful company, financially stable and well renowned. Can't tell me that's not a feat for a twenty two year old. I had worked as vice president of the company, taking clients and paying bills. Nothing unusual for a small programming business that did nothing but make web pages and apps. I was a damn good if I say so myself, and I mean good. It's why I was offered this position.

A small blue slip was in my office Monday and by Wednesday I was in a helicopter off to some remote hermit's nest to do some security updates. Apparently this super rich hustler needed my help with some updating of code that he thought he would enlist someone to do for him.

It seems like a waste of my time.

The pay is nice at least, as is the lab I'm staying in. Secluded, surrounded by forest all the way around. Those who hired me wanted to keep quiet, hidden, and they damn sure had the money for it. I spent the first three days locked into the room they had given me, it was large and lavish, filled with the necessities and some extremities. What was important is that the alcohol in the mini fridge lasted me three days.

On the fourth day I introduced myself.

"Jesus Christ, kid, you finally find your way in here?" I still wasn't completely over my hangover, I shook my head reaching into the fridge. The lights were too bright in here, I preferred the subterranean levels of this place, they were small and dark, nice and cozy. If I had any complaint about this place it was that import beer always had pretentious enough names so that I felt like a snob saying them. I was a drunk, not a high artist and I didn't like the amount of arrogance in these beers. I took a swig, leaning against the marble counter and glaring at the man across from me.

"I just preferred to get some work done." He scoffed and turned to the window. "Sure, I'll take that." Silence ensued, I don't know for how long, but it did. I made a point of staring at the ceiling. I wanted to get this done, take my check and fly back home. I missed the city, this silence was getting to me.

"What am I supposed to do after the security updates? You said you had something special in mind."

He let out a hearty chuckle and appraised me. "If you drink with me and loosen that tight ass of yours, I'll be glad to tell you."

I guess I did owe it to the guy to at least have a drink with him, he had hired me after all. I had only spoken to him shortly once I had arrived, and that was just basic introductions and instructions to my room. I sighed and relaxed my shoulder.

"Why not?"

Two shots of whiskey later I was sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere with a man I only knew the first name of. He was babbling on about some kind of new blue book revolution that he had come up with. He had a thick french accent and reeked of red wine and cigars. The stereotypical french man. I wanted to ask where the baguettes were.

"Wait, did you just say you tapped their phones?" Aiber shrugged and laughed, kicking a small rock off the ledge and into the waters below us. "It's not like anyone knew, well except the carriers, ha, like they'd call me out on this, they can't bullshit a bullshitter."

This man was potentially insane, as I had gathered that he had access to every cellphone in the US, maybe other countries as well. He was finicky with the details and I didn't bother to dig. If I could gather anything else through the cotton in my head, he had also used this data, the recordings and videos from millions, maybe billions of smartphones to gather a 'profile of human emotion'. This man was insane, but smart. He kept talking a mile a minute, spewing more information than my mind could keep up with. Then he said the magic word. _AI._

"AI as in Artificial Intelligence?"

"No as in Anal Insurance, of course I meant AI, Jesus, you're supposed to be a genius, kid."

This guy was a dick, but I was intrigued. Robots had been my thing as a kid, I loved them, they reminded me of order and stability. I liked that, I was a weird kid though. Too smart for the adults to laugh at, but too small to actually fit into intellectual conversation. You see the issue? I guess that turned into an obsession with all things logical and orderly. It worked for me in the end, I developed a love for technology and got myself a good paying job with that knowledge. If only I could program a wife, ha, that'd be a miracle. Maybe this lunatic could help me.

"AIs huh? Never pegged you for a mad scientist with a STEM degree." He let out a rush of air and stood up, beckoning for me to follow. I did, off balance and hazy, but coherent enough not to bump into the door. He led me into a room with no windows, another underground level in this maze. It had a calm blue hue to it, darkened and immaculate. I felt secure here for some reason. He showed me blueprints, notes, writing pads filled to the brim with delicate scratches of ink. I was impressed, the code for this thing was incredible. The pictures were even better. In the dim light I could see the schematics for a human, a human with the guts of a computer. Strict and orderly, clean and efficient. Beautiful.

I finished my whisky and set the glass onto the counter, marveling at the notes once more before turning to him.

"This is real?"

"Even better, it's alive."

Don't move an inch, that is what I was advised. I wasn't kind towards direct demands, but I let this slide. I was interested and I want to know as much as I could about this project. I wanted in on this, badly. If I could pick apart this creation and do with it what I wanted I would in a heartbeat. Creating a life made of metal. Who would have thought?

I nursed my headache and looked over the diagram, this thing has emotion. And lots of it. Reportedly it could cry, sing, dance, and smile, among every other human emotions. There were only three unlisted that came to mind immediately.

Anger.

Love.

Guilt.

It supposedly held empathy, speaking at length with Aiber on several topics, including mathematics, sports, cooking, and music. It knew every language, every piece of art, every artist, every trivial fact. With the internet and multiple search engines at its fingertips, why wouldn't it? The thing was hardwired to be the ultimate Siri. The monitors around me buzzed faintly in the background and the blue hue turned to a light lime glow above me. As Aiber sat bathed in the green light he sighed. He took another drink of wine and stood, moving to one of the keyboards and swiping his keycard into a hidden slot. The monitor parallel to the keyboard lit up with a bright blue burst and then displayed orange. A black box appeared and he typed inconsistently for a short period of time. Once he seemed to be finished he dramatically slammed the enter key and turned to me, out of breath. He raised his arms from his sides in a dramatic pose and grinned.

"He tried to get through my security systems!"

Amazing, so this thing was intelligent. If it was capable of taking the risk of turning against it's creator to leave, then it was also probably dangerous. Did the AI really have a grasp on human emotions, enough to want to escape?

"How?" I asked, astonished.

"Through his charger! Jesus, this model is bringing all kind of surprises." He exclaimed, thrashing his arms madly around in what I hoped was joy. I wondered how this thing knew how to do that, with all my updates, I assumed it wouldn't be able to get past the new firewalls. I was wrong, I guess Siri had learned more from Google than I had thought it could. Aiber looked towards me with a smile that almost cracked his face in half.

"Like a child, you know? Gotta work with him on that, it happens, just a side effect. You know how kids get rebellious and try to run away, it's basically that!" I nodded, it didn't sound like that, but it made enough sense. I thought about it as Aiber strode across the room and opened a mini fridge in the corner, taking out a bottle of water and taking a long drink from it before beckoning me forward.

"Let's go get some food, I'm starving."

For how surpassingly rich the man was, he served burgers and fries for dinner. They were good, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting something classier, given the decadence of this place. Aiber chomped noisily of the fries, losing all grace he had with the wine beforehand. A blonde woman with heels that could slice my head off served us drinks during our meal. Aiber said her name was Wedy, couldn't speak a lick of English. Only Swedish. I assumed she was a mail order bride, the type desperate fucks like Aiber bought and sold for shits and giggles. I was wasted and well fed, so who was I to complain?

"You handle your liquor, kid, what's the secret?"

"Antidepressants and 22 years of back breaking stress." He nodded empathetically, like he knew. He probably did know, seeing as his mail order bride didn't speak English and I was the first person up here in God knows how long. Isolation can drive you crazy, I knew, I never really got along with people. I mean I did, but it wasn't real. I'm a great looking, smart guy, of course people were always around me, but why would I care? None of them understood anything beyond casual conversation about celebrities and the weather. I gave up trying half way through high school. The more I spoke the more pretentious I sounded, but really, it's me and my thoughts so there's no harm there. I think I might be as crazy as Aiber at this point, should probably save up for a bride now that I think of it. We could have nice cocktail nights with our swedish wives and play pool on Sundays. Sounds like a great life.

"What a shame, sounds like a shit hand you got. I used to be a con man, you know. Same boat as you, alcohol and drugs. Tried to keep up with the mafia in Sweden. That's where I met this little lady. Couldn't keep the grace, you know? Fucked up something major. Now I make robots and try not to drink too much on Sundays." He smiled this shit eating grin at me and continued shoving fries into his mouth.

"Sounds like too much excitement." I said, trying to stay on topic but keep the mood light.

"I guess you could say that."

Aiber was finished long before I was, he stood up and went to the fridge (this one not so mini) and pulled out a bottle of vodka. If there was anything we truly had in common it's the alcohol. He poured two glasses and handed one to me, I think he intended to drink more than two cups, but by the third he was blacked out on the couch and I had retired to my room.

I restocked the mini fridge the next day but I honestly didn't feel like drinking. It wasn't the hangover, I was used to those, it was honestly something else. Maybe I finally found something interesting to do with my time, that's be a laugh.

I poked my head into the main room and saw no one was there, Aiber had moved, whether with Wedy's help or by himself, but he was gone. I hopped on the treadmill and set it for an easy workout, I was exhausted but I might as well do something with my time. After twenty minutes of jogging I felt better, more awake and clear. I could hear clearly and the sounds of birds and falling water filled the room. It was serene, I took back my earlier thought, maybe I could get used to this place. The view was astounding, forest for miles, thick underbrush and mountains, lot of rocks all around the landscape. It was awe inspiring and it fit what you'd expect a rich hermit to live in. My feet padded on the tile as I walked into the kitchen, Wedy was sitting at the table and staring longingly out the window. I waved hello, not knowing if it registered with her or not, she barely seemed to acknowledge my presence.

I grabbed an apple off the counter and took a bite, following her gaze. The kitchen overlooked the waterfall the place was built against, a gorgeous view. Couldn't blame her for being captivated. I took another chunk of apple and sat down across from her, trying to read her expression. I thought about asking her if she was okay, if she was here against her will. She held the air of a prisoner, but the poise of a ballerina. It made me uneasy, like this was a play and I was an actor that had fudged my role.

Before I could speak, Aiber's voice echoed behind me. "She gets like that, ignore her." I nodded and went back to my fruit, mumbling good morning as Aiber walked past me.

"Get out, go, go!" He waved his hands frantically at Wedy, as if fighting a pesky bug. She stood with grace, no emotion, and walked off down the hall. I didn't ask why she was so obedient, it probably came with the swedish marriage license.

"What's the plan today?" I asked, soothing in some kind of conversation, trying to vanish the uneasiness I still felt. Aiber turned and praised me, smiling widely, no sign of hangover on him.

"You get to interview him!"

"Interview?"

Now he had me playing journalist. I frowned and leaned back in my chair, forgetting the apple on the table. Aiber glared at me and continued. "Enough with the questions, you'll have time for those later, just listen. I need you to perform a few tests for me, just some quick evals of my little AI, you know?" I nodded and went back to my food, trying to figure out what some interview would tell him, especially one he didn't do himself. Aiber stood and went to the counter, pulling some notepad off the countertop and scribbling on it.

"All you have to do it test and see if it's aware of itself, see if it can act human enough, you know?"

"Yes, _I know_."

"Good, then get at it." He replied as he threw the paper at me and left the room, the smell of wine fading more and more the longer I sat there.


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't know._

"Why are you letting me read this?" The android asked, pacing casually around the small room holding the small journal precariously with two fingers, as if afraid to break it. His metallic fingers stopped moving as the words trailed off on the page, faded green sharpie bleeding through the pages as he skimmed through the journal. Light sighed and looked up from his hands, trying to act sincere.

"Well, I thought we should start with some trust, no mystery, I want to connect with you and I thought letting you know about my time here so far would be a good start." An air of silence let in, worrying Light, until the computer spoke.

"That is a lie." Light looked up in shock, glaring at the android in disbelief. Emotionless eyes stared back, the robot's limbs slouched and relaxed, as was his form as he stood in the middle of the small inclosure.

 _How could he possibly know that?_

Artificial muscles moved under their soft chainmail-like coverings as the android moved slowly towards the glass wall dividing them. Light flinched as he got closer, his nose touching the glass and leaving a small imprint on the surface. Pale skin almost translucent as the light from above reflected off of it.

"And what am I lying about exactly?" Light asked with a breath of confidence, staring down the android. His large eyes were convincingly real, they could pass for human if it wasn't for the pale blue light that illuminated the sclera causing the eyes to reflect everything he gazed upon. As Light stared back, he could see his reflection clearly against the dark eyes staring back at him.

"You did not share this with me to bring forth trust, you shared it with me to bring my guard down." Light couldn't help it, he started to laugh, smiling at the android.

"Why would I do that? If I wanted you to let your guard down I could have just acted like a meandering fool, why would I give you personal information about myself?" He asked, the air shifting as the andriod considered this, leaning back on his leg, shifting his weight to a more comfortable position. After considering Light's words it spoke.

"No, you believe that you can build trust through this, a sort of friendship, so that I will be more open to your questions."

Light sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "If that's really what you think then I guess I won't waste my breath. What's so bad about wanting to be friends anyway?" He pushed before standing, reaching for the notebook that had been placed gently in the retrieval slot with the precision only robot joints could deliver.

"It is not genuine." The low voice answered, sounding both sure and focused.

Light laughed again, holding the notebook in his palm and waving it at the andriod. The small notebook was no larger than that of a composition notebook, stained with sharpie and pencil marks. It made a dull thud as Light dropped it onto the side table next to him, looking back up at the robot once again. If this was what he had to deal with for the next week of interviewing, Light was better off leaving. He didn't like to be psycho-analyzed by a toaster.

Light shifted in his chair and tried to think of something to say. He didn't want this thing to have the upper hand, but he wanted to get into the questions as soon as possible.

"Well, whatever you think my motives are, I think we should move onto my questions, okay?" He started, not happy with the irritation that bled into into his tone. He steadied himself and took a sip of water. Crossing his legs and looking through the glass at the robot before him. He wanted to make progress today, no matter what he had to at least have some notes to report back. He grabbed the notebook again and opened it, poising his pen and reading out the first question.

"What is your name?"

"L." Came an immediate answer.

"Okay, L, how are you today?" Light smiled, and waved a little with his free hand. L mimicked the action, waving slightly, although his expression stayed the same. Light finally started to feel like he was making some leeway. Throughout the conversation, L's expression was a steady calm that hadn't changed and Light was more than pleased to see the light in his eyes glow a bit brighter with what Light assumed was interest. The expression stuck as he answered in that same mechanical drone. "I am amused."

Light grinned back, feeling as if he may have made some leeway. He retrieved his notebook and a pen, jotting down a few notes before continuing. Reading over the page and readying the next question.

"What do you like?" This seemed to stall the android, L gazed at the man with suspicion and then mild confusion, his hand raising to his mouth, running his fingers over his lips. The monotone expression was gone, replaced with an expression Light could only describe as lost.

"My likes?" Light nodded and gave a small grin, encouraging the robot to share with him. "Yes, what do you enjoy?" He asked, hoping the robot would understand, if it's previous feats were to be trusted, he should at least have some idea of what he liked. Breaking into security systems could be a possible answer.

L seemed to think about it for a while, his eyes rolling up to stare at the ceiling, the blue hue seeming to shine a bit with thought. After some time, the metallic tenor spoke. "I enjoy humans, then." Light raised an eyebrow at that, leaning in closer.

"Really, well that's good, because I enjoy AIs." L smiled at this, mimicking Light and leaning in, his back bent slightly, exposing the wires visible under the androids breast plate. Wide eyes blinked, the pupils dilating as the light hit them creating a perfect human mask. The crystal clear glass separating the two reflected the light that gleamed from the android's eyes, distorting his image slightly as the pair stared at each other.

"Why?" L asked, leaning in again, his back bent completely so that he was eye level with Light. Light shifted in his chair, not breaking eye contact. He thought of how to answer, thinking of a response that wouldn't offend the android or make him seem unrelatable to the AI.

Once he had decided he spoke, purposely hesitant as he answered.

"Because, code has always interested me and to find life created using code is fascinating. A unique individual made with intricate lines of code and hardware is above anything else I've heard. It's mesmerizing." The android beamed, a small smile that had appeared halfway through his answer widening and lighting up his face. L stood tall now, looking down at Light with unbridled joy. Laughter erupted from the small computer, startling Light a bit, it was a pleasant sound, electronic but with a distinct human tone to it. "I feel the same way!" He giggled, shifting his weight from leg to leg, the smile calming, but remaining in place.

Light smiled back, content that he had found common ground, if not a bit unnerved by the androids reaction. He jotted down another note, commenting on L's reaction with a bit of pride.

"What about humans interests you, L?" Light replied, smiling warmly at the android. Another odd giggle and he got his answer.

"The emotion you display, such a wide range of emotions and feelings and thoughts. All ingrained into your biology, controlling your actions and motives! It's so...amazing!" Another small laugh and the android stilled, smiling at Light. "Especially love, the ability to devote yourselves to groups of humans in familial settings and to another human in a lifelong devotion. It's all so amazing, and I can't help but take note." Light laughed at this, taking in what he was being told. L really was like a child learning about the world around him.

"Trust me, emotions and love specifically are not what they're cut out to be." L frowned at this, but then quickly regained his monotone expression from before.

"How so?"

Light sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling.

"How do I word this? I guess it becomes overwhelming, not having complete control over yourself because emotions can override all other thought. Love is one of those emotions that knock over every fail safe someone can have, dictating your actions for you. I mean, most human murders can be attributed to love turning to anger. Crimes of passions are what they're called, it's scary, you know?" Oh shit, now he starting to sound like Aiber.

"I understand, it must not be a good feeling to be constantly aware of those emotions?" Light nodded with confidence.

"Yeah, sometimes you just want to turn them off, get rid of them." L nodded back, eyes roaming around the room.

"Have you ever been in love, Light?" Light laughed at this too, a strong hearty laugh that took the air from his lungs and made his stomach hurt. He shook his head as he tried to regain composure, smiling at L, showing his bleach white smile.

"No, I can't say I have been. I'm not one for romance." He said, watching the disappointed look of the android's face, a childish pout that was unfitting for him.

"Oh, I was hoping you could give me a first hand account." He let out, the blue light in his eyes dimming. Light waved his hand at him, grinning at him.

"If I do happen to find love, I'll call you up and tell you all about it, how about that?"

L smiled again and shook his head earnestly. "Sounds like a deal."

"You are not very proficient in writing." L drawled, looking over the notebook again rereading both Light's notes and his diary entries. "It's all...broken...and choppy?" Light smiled as the computer searched for the right words, mechanical fingers flipping through the notebook at an impressive speed.

"I was never a good writer, so there's that." L looked up in confusion, balancing the journal on his palm.

"Then how did you get this job? I was told you were an interviewer." Light laughed at that, so Aiber was feeding this thing lies about him. Light shook his head and gestured his hand towards the robot.

"I'm actually a programmer." Light said and L looked at him with amusement. "So Aiber has sent a programmer to interview me?"

Light nodded and took the notebook back as L slipped it through the retrieval slot, feeling mechanical fingertips slid against his for a split second. As he held the notebook in his hands, he wondered if he was supposed to go along with this reporter story or not, either way it was too late but he hoped Aiber didn't mind. You would think he would mention something like that if it was so important.

"I guess so, I mean it sort of makes sense." He shrugged, sitting down once again, this time perching on the arm of the chair. He wasn't sure how to proceed with this line of conversation. It felt off talking to a robot about programming, felt sort of like having a conversation with a serial killer about their victims. He wondered what L thought about this topic, would it be appropriate to ask?

"Does it make you uncomfortable? Talking to a programmer?" He asked tentatively, looking up with genuine interest. L balanced himself on one foot, blank eyes reading Light's expression without reaction.

"No, not really." He let out, mimicking let out a chest full of air, relaxing himself as he balanced. "I would probably liken it so a human speaking with a doctor, does that align?"

Light thought for a moment and then nodded, thinking it was a better comparison than he himself had made.


	3. Chapter 3

_Who decides if I fail?_

It wasn't like this was the first time the power had gone out since he had arrived here, but it still unnerved Light. Aiber had marked it off as nothing more than power surges and L's feeble attempts to make a dent in the security systems. This made sense, after his interview with L it became clear that the AI disliked his home, not overtly so but just enough to want to leave. Like one would become bored with their hometown after a lifetime of living there. L had admitted himself that he felt home here, but that he wanted more. More scenery, more life and light. Something a bit more interesting than what he was given.

"I wish to see the outside." He had answered when Light pressed him about the recent security breaches that were undoubtedly caused by the robot. "I do not wish any harm to Aiber, he is rather interesting in fact. I just wish to see more than just this room."

Light had felt a pang of guilt then, he had come to the conclusion that L at least held sentience, it was unclear whether he held genuine emotion, but the sentience part was as clear as day through their time speaking. Who could blame him for wanting to leave this place? It was an opulent prison at best, a small glass cage with a bed and window and not much more.

"So you admit to starting these power outages?" Light asked, gazing around the room as the lights flickered yet again.

"Is there any reason to hide my involvement? He knows I wish to leave." He knew, of course he knew. Then why was this not proof enough to Aiber? The fact that L wanted to leave so badly should have been solid evidence that the AI had thoughts and emotions. He had the desire to explore as any human did, so why wasn't Aiber taking notice? He would have to question him later.

"Why won't he let you leave then? Even for just a walk around the house or to go outside for a while?" Light responded, taking a note to ask Aiber more about this when he saw him next. L sighed at this, no air actually leaving his mouth as his body moved with the impression of a real person. L always looked so real when he moved, even with the features of a mannequin he might have been able to pass of as human.

"He says I am not ready." Was the simple reply.

Light's interest piqued at this, so Aiber was unsure about this whole project after all. With how confident he always sounded talking about his creation, Light had assumed he was ready to let it loose. Light spoke with a more compassionate tone, the guilt still lingering at the thought that L had no choice but to be here. "In what ways are you not ready?" He continued, gazing at L through the glass.

"I am not ready, that is all I have been told."

Light shrugged, realizing that Aiber would be rather reluctant to share such information with the AI. He doesn't exactly blame him either, countless movies depicted androids turning on their creators and taking over the word. But for some reason he didn't get that vibe from the small android standing before him. L had a relaxed, ethereal feel to him. One that posed no threat, even if he was a bit creepy looking.

He realized he had been silent for too long when L let out an impatient sound and chewed on his thumb. Light was awed by the attention to detail, did Aiber program these actions into L's code? Or had he picked this up on his own over the internet or some other source?

"Did he program you to do that?" Light let out without thinking, gesturing slightly toward the robot's hand that was glued to his mouth. L stopped abruptly and removed his hand, letting it fall to his side and rest on his thigh.

"No, I was searching through the databases and this seemed like an interesting motion, why do you ask?" Light chuckled and scribbled onto the page, answering in the same breath. "I just thought it was interesting too."

L huffed at this and peered to look at the journal, failing to see anything but blurred green writing. Light looked up at him and noticed where he was looking, raising the notebook so that he could see the writing clearly. L nodded his thanks and read, humming when he was done and gazing down at the floor. Light steadied the book on his knees and dropped the sharpie into the dip between pages, giving his full attention to L.

"If my notes make you uncomfortable, then we can speak without my taking them. I want this to be a chance to speak naturally and to have a nice interview. Like I said earlier, I wish to be friends, so if you don't want notes taken please let me know."

L nodded with a smile. "I would appreciate that."

Light nodded and closed the book, placing it neatly on the side table and continuing his line of questioning, speaking about the various quirks they each found interesting in people and why they did them.

"Why in particular is it so appealing to you?" Light asked, crossing his legs as he took a swig of water. A casual tone had taken over the room and L had taken to sitting on the floor, his legs pulled to his chest and his metal arms hanging above his knees, the wires visible running through them glowing softly. L's head rolled to one side as he answered.

"Because, humans are amusing, they do such amazing things. The fact that they have their own unique traits is no different."

"Like you." Light pointed out, pointing to the sitting figure. L nodded slightly as he casually leaned back.

"I wish to act like a human so that one day I can walk among them." He answered as if he was talking about the weather. Light smiled, albeit sadly, and nodded.

"I hope you can." He answered honestly, for a second he could imagine the robot sitting in a cafe. It was a surreal image, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Truthfully he knew that L would probably never leave this place, that he was just another model to be tested and remade to be better and more complex. He knew he couldn't let this fact slip, but he still felt guilty leading the computer on to think that it had a chance at being human. Not wanting to drag the robot through anymore false hope Light gazed at the clock placed in the corner of the room.

"Would you be open to more of this tomorrow evening?" L's head bobbed up and down once as the two exchanged goodbyes, metallic eyes following Light as he left the room.

As Light strode down the hall he wondered how many there were before L. How many prototypes Aiber had created and if they were stored away in some dusty box in a basement somewhere. The thought of the same fate happening to L left him feeling cold.

Wedy stood at the stove preparing chicken when Light entered. He waved to her and was glad to see she smiled back, finally acknowledging his presence. Aiber sat drunk at the kitchen table, sipping on a cocktail and reading over some papers. Sloppily pawing at the pages as he read. Light dropped his notebook onto the table in front of him as he said hello. The smell of chicken and rice filled the room as Aiber read over his notes, laughing once or twice before setting it back down.

"So you like him?" Light nodded and shrugged a bit with his right shoulder. "He's certainly interesting. He's so human, it's surreal."

Aiber grinned proudly, showing some teeth and he set his glass down. Wedy sauntered over and refilled the glass before turning her attention back to the stove. Light found it odd how in tune she was to her surroundings despite not knowing the language spoken to her. Maybe Aiber had lied to him and she really did speak English. Light himself was trilingual so it wouldn't surprise him in the least. The thought of her being attuned to lips and body language also ran through his mind as he watched her cook.

"You're right, though. I don't trust him to leave." Aiber said as he drank, his words slurring over the liquid. Light gazed at him as Wedy sat a cocktail of his own in front of him, taking the a drink from the carefully arranged glass. The alcohol burned as he drank, the taste strong and familiar.

"Why not?" He questioned, setting the glass down and folding his hands on the table. Aiber smirked and locked eyes with him.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Light grinned and let out a chuckle, the thought had run through his mind once or twice. Aiber didn't break eye contact as Wedy placed a plate in front of him, smiling softly at him. She turned to Light and gave him his own, the plate clinging against the wood as she placed it. She then turned and left, once again disappearing down the hall. Light glanced at her for a second, confused on why she never stayed and ate with them but knowing it was better not to ask. His attention was brought back to Aiber as he started to speak again.

"You think I would let that thing out? You're not stupid, come on, just think. Do you know what would happen if some crazy cyborg got out and turned on humanity?" Light started to laugh, it would be ridiculous to call L crazy, he couldn't imagine him hurting a fly. Scaring a few kids, sure, but he didn't think the android capable of harm. He was sure those metal limbs would break with the slightest force. Light calmed himself, feeling the dull ache in his gut from laughing too hard as he tried to breathe evenly.

"You really think he would turn against you? He has the density of a stick, you could snap him like a twig!" Light laughed, seeing the anger color Aiber's face.

"You think he's helpless, don't you?" Light stopped and looked at him, seriousness claiming his expression. "Well yeah, what harm can he do? You're the one who programmed him, don't tell me you gave him a thirst for world domination?"

Aiber was seething by now, his drink empty and his hands clutched to his side. His barely concealed anger unnerved Light and he decided to keep his mouth shut for now. Light almost fell out his chair as Aiber slammed his fist on the table, glaring at Light. "I told you I gave him sentience, do you think this is a joke?" He was screaming now, his face red and his voice full of humiliation and outrage.

"Listen, I didn't mean it like that. Calm down, I was only joking." Aiber shook his head and continued, it had become clear that Aiber's drunken rambling wasn't going to fade out so easily this time.

"Do you understand how long I've spent on this project? Do you really think I would waste my time to make a walking laptop? You're fucking kidding me, I can't believe this. If you were half the programmer you said you were you would understand that I'm not making another cutesy command interface for a smart phone! I'm making something new and amazing, I'm creating life!" Aiber stopped then, gulping for breath, his chest heaving with every intake of breath. Light sat silently, waiting for the man to calm down. He knew from personal experience that he wouldn't be able to reason with an angry drunk. So he sat quietly, waiting for Aiber to get it all out. He regretted saying anything to begin with, it wasn't worth the trouble.

"If I wanted to waste my time making some virtual assistant then I would go work for Apple!" He screamed before falling back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. He voice dropped pitifully. "I would never stoop that low."

Aiber reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pack of menthols, taking one out and lighting it with an errant lighter off the kitchen table. He took a drag and then turned his attention to Light. "This is serious. If you think he isn't capable of turning against me then I might as well start over, because that would mean I've failed."

Light shrugged, gazing back with mild concern. He really hoped that these outbursts weren't going to be a regular occurrence. He'd have to watch his mouth from now on, Aiber was a lot crazier than he had originally thought. He sighed and nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "I apologize, I didn't mean to insult your intelligence or your work. If anything it's a compliment, you're creation has me fooled. It has me thinking it's harmless, that's an accomplishment right? That it can trick people into thinking it's benign?"

Aiber seemed to perk up at this, smiling. The smile was crooked and his face was still bright red, but it was progress. "I guess so, kid. Maybe it is working."

Light smiled back and took a bit of rice, hoping he had diffused this correctly. He really didn't want to go any farther with this drunk babbling at him.

"Maybe I can salvage this model after all."


	4. Chapter 4

"Can we talk about something else?" Throughout their conversation the robot had begun pacing more and more, agitation prominent in his gait. Light had been pestering him about the intricacies of his programming for the past twenty minutes and he was losing patience. Being prodded like a circus animal didn't seem to amuse the AI very much, especially since Light was asking the most bare bones questions he could come up with. The final straw had been when Light had jokingly asked if his interface was programmed using Unity 3D.

"Do you have any other interests beside my programming?" The mechanical voice questioned, raising slightly with annoyance. Light had ceased speaking when he heard the sharp intake of breath coming from L, his mouth closed as he realized he had gone on another tangent. This was at least the third time this week that L had his patience spent by the human. He also didn't find Light's jokes very funny.

"I apologize, I got caught up in my thoughts. I hope I didn't offend you." Light conceded, slightly embarrassed.

L stopped pacing, nodding curtly and turning his attention to the window. Through the glass a small ecosystem of evergreen wildlife was visible, the light from above tinted green as it bathed the room. L rolled his head to gaze back at the man across the room, eyes blank and body relaxed. "Do you enjoy the outdoors?"

Light thought for a moment letting his eyes wander in the same direction as Ls. He never had fond memories of camping or hiking. He never had time for those activities when he was younger, so he never bothered. Forests and parks were always too dirty and held too many bugs for his liking anyways.

"No, not particularly. I played sports in school, but that's about it." If sports were all the android wanted to know about then he would gladly teach him tennis or fencing, but he honestly couldn't tell him much about hunting or camping. He could probably grab some pictures off the internet of some forests though, if that would entertain him. "I mean I went hiking once for a class field trip, but that's it."

L seemed genuinely interested, nodding curtly. "Did you like it?"

Light laughed, remembering that he was covered in bug bites by the time he got back. His legs had been sore for a few days and he had ruined his good tennis shoes by stepping in some puddles. "It was alright."

"You are lying again, was it really that bad?" Light scoffed and nodded, wondering how he knew he was lying. He would ask but L would probably snap at him again. "It wasn't a pleasurable experience, too many mosquitos."

L nodded, not fully understanding why he disliked bugs, L himself found them interesting and not in the least bit annoying. Then again he had never seen one in real life before. He knew the facility was engulfed in some kind of forest, which one he was unsure. Aiber had been smart enough not to give him the ability to connect to the internet, he was blacked out from any kind of information not given to him through the books Aiber brought him.

"If I succeed, will you take me to a forest?" Light was taken aback, but smiled and replied.

"Of course."

"Is there any chance of this being the final model?" Light asked over lunch, he wasn't big on pasta, but the soup Wedy had served tasted alright. They were seated on the balcony overlooking the expanse of trees that covered the grounds. It was chilly out, the sky a pale grey as the temperature steadily dropped, the soup was the only thing keeping Light from complaining about the cold.

"Don't tell me you care about this? I thought you were just here to do your security fixes?" Aiber laughed, looking up from his glass. He had noticed over the past week that Light had stopped drinking, it would be laughable for him to act like he wasn't invested.

"For a matter of fact, yes, I do. I came here to do my work but then you gave me something interesting. So, is this the last model?"

Aiber set down his glass and leaned forward. "Well, kid, it depends. Do you think this is the last model?"

Light glared at the man, how could he possibly know whether or not this was the last model? He had been thrust into this project with little to no information on the other prototypes. Aiber had been keeping as much about this projects past hidden as he could.

"You're kidding me right?" Aiber shook his head, continuing as he shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth.

"You're the one talking to that thing, kid. It won't so much as look at me when I go in there. Think it resents me, don't really blame it for that. But it likes you, so you have to make that call. Is it worthy enough to pass?"

"I don't know, you've told me nothing about the past models or what this thing is even for. I doubt that you just want to make some cute little test tube AI that can pass for a real person. Why did you really make him?" Light had abandoned his food at this point, crossing his arms as the wind picked up. This was an awful place for outdoor meals, he couldn't understand how Aiber could stand this weather. Aiber grinned, obviously amused with where this was going.

"See I knew you weren't a complete idiot, you have some analytics in you. But that really is what I have going on here. I want to create life out of steel, is that so hard to believe?" Light shook his head furiously.

"Yeah, it kind of is!" Aiber let out a breathy sigh and leaned back, relaxing in his chair.

"Your involvement in this is temporary as it stands, I would like to offer you a permanent position. You're an interesting kid, I like you. But I won't have you questioning my motives without good reason. I have been honest with you from day one, this is nothing more than my own pet project to keep me occupied, Light. I have nothing else to do with my time that's worth my while, you know? So why don't you accept my honesty for what it is?" Light continued to glare uneasily at Aiber, he didn't believe him for one minute. There was no way that this was some low key pet project.

"Why then? Why not donate your time and intellect to something that matters?" Light questioned, desperately trying to poke holes in Aiber's story. He would take any kind of slip up he could get.

"Because why would I waste my time with some big suit fuckers who probably have my criminal record. They'd turn me in, and to think about it they'd probably do it with pleasure." Light nodded, remembering that Aiber had a shady past, something involving con jobs.

"What kind of record? You mentioned meeting Wedy because of them, tell me more."

Aiber let out a hearty laugh and grinned. "Sure kid, if it'll ease your conscious and stop this bullshit." He took a swig and continued, wiping his palm over his mouth.

"I told you that I understood the whole stress drinking thing, I know I did. I only know because I spent my childhood with an alcoholic father and a missing mother. I didn't go to college, my dad was too poor to fund my education, I also couldn't land a steady job because in my little town no one wanted the oddball slacker who could work a computer but didn't know a thing about cars or machinery. They wanted manual laborers, and when I finally caved in and took a shitty construction position, well it didn't really put a meal on the table, let alone a college education.

"So, I bailed, left town with four hundred euros and moved to Luxembourg, some nice little country outside of France. Didn't mention it to my dad, just left and didn't look back. I tried to find better work there, no luck, all I found was a low paying bartender position. But little did I know that was the best job of my life. I learned a lot, how to mix drinks, how to talk to a lady, how to hold my liquor, and most importantly, how to scam shitbags out of their wallets.

"It was great, believe me, it lasted about nine months too, just enough time to build up a reputation and some dough. I was doing great, making bank by breaking into suburbs on the weekends and serving martinis during the week. I fucked up though, I had built up a reasonable amount of money from pickpocketing, low key robberies and genuine barkeeping, but I was sloppy on a home invasion, the family was supposed to be out of town for a few weeks but they came back for some reason. They saw me bolt and called the police, gave them my description and suddenly I was a wanted man. I was never arrested, the police never did much there anyways, but they had my face plastered on the news for a while, so I ran away from Luxembourg too. I hit Belgium next, and that's where I stayed for a while. It's another odd country, right on the ocean. It always smelled like smoke and I hated it, that place was too quiet so I knew I had to get out sooner or later, I guess I was just-."

"Jesus Christ, Aiber, just give me a lay down of your record, not your fucking memoir!" Light snapped, his eyes narrowed with annoyance. Listening to this drunk go on for the next three hours was not his plan for the night. He just wanted answers, he needed to know whether L was the last model or not, he could care less about Aiber's shitty childhood.

"Alright kid, calm it." Aiber sighed and twirled his had in a circular fashion while resuming. "Yada-yada-yada I got out, okay. I was stressed and pissed and poor. I didn't know shit about where I was going so I drank hard, did some drugs I shouldn't have, and stole a lot more than you'd think I could get away with. For such a peaceful country it sure as hell hid some nice underground action. I got caught up with some drug dealers and they threatened to blow my brains out if I didn't pay them. So Wedy and I bailed, moved out here, made some nice investment with the money we saved. I'd probably be arrested or killed if anyone knew where I was, so hiding seemed like the only option." Light scoffed and stood, setting down his glass and pushing in his chair. "But the best part of it was when my investments paid off, I made some deals with some local contractors, real hush hush business. Now I got this beauty of a place and I can pursue my real hobby while the stocks pay the bills."

"We both know I don't believe a single word that just came out of your mouth."

"Of course you don't."

And as the wind picked up Light realized that nothing he had been told since he got here was true.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been raining steadily for the past two days, limiting the amount of contact Light had with the outside. The forests that surrounded the compound attracted vicious rainstorms that lasted for days on end, it drove Light near insanity. He never could stand the rain, it brought forth mud and dirt, messing the landscape with disorder and stains of dirt. The constant pounding against the windows gave him a dull, lingering headache that no amount of beer or painkillers could numb completely. He could endure this though, it was only because Light had come to enjoy jogging along the paths around the forests that it bothered him so much, for the first time in his life he felt something other than revulsion at being in the open landscape. Yet with the pouring rain refusing to yield for even an hour he was stuck inside feeling groggy and cotton headed.

"Is this normal?" Light gestured towards the window. It had been three days since Light had come to know that he was being played like a fool. He had suppressed his anger then, finishing dinner with a plastic smile hoping Aiber didn't notice he had caught on to every little slip he had made in the past week. But Light wasn't going to kid himself, he knew Aiber knew that he knew that everything was off. After Light's outburst, he had tried to subtly back pedal his way through the conversation. Conceding that Aiber's story was plausible but not convincing. Aiber had continued speaking with his same flamboyance, energetically speaking of his time in Luxembourg.

Light had nodded and tried his best to change the subject without rousing any suspicion. He was sure he had failed, he could see the gleam in Aiber's eyes as he had left the room. He could no longer tell if that look was drunk curiosity or paranoia. The ambiguity made Light's skin raise.

They had spoken frequently in those three days, Light made sure to steer away from Aiber's anecdotes in that time, when he could get away with it. He had kept a mental checklist of all the inconsistencies that Aiber had let slip and it was only growing the more he spoke to the man. Light was still trying to piece together any truths in his stories. He could tell that Aiber wasn't too concerned with sticking to one story, the man had only kept basic themes within each tale. Someone was after him in a foreign country far from here that kept him at bay. It was Aiber's lame attempts at explaining why he was hiding in the middle of nowhere with a sum of cash and some robots sitting in the dweller.

Light had also ogled at a map for a minute or two, trying to path a route from Sweden to Luxembourg. It didn't make sense why Aiber would throw out all these different countries, these new dangers that didn't mix in with his past endeavors. Where was this Swedish mafia? Where were the drug dealers in Luxembourg? Aiber was a smart man, he wouldn't be this stupid, would he? Every time Light tried to explain the inconsistencies he always had the faint suspicion that they were planned, planted there to fuck with him.

If he was really trying to keep up some facade then Light was sure he would have memorized a backstory and stuck to it, not keep slipping up and changing the details every ten seconds. Was he really going to keep acting like a mindless drunk?

"It's always been like that. It rains for a few weeks and then it's nothing but sun." Aiber answered passively, gazing into a tablet flipping through some benign online news source. Light couldn't tell the aim of the current article he was reading but it had something to do with the UK.

He lazily stirred his oatmeal, looking out at the rain again. "Is the storm going to get any worse? I don't think I can stay inside much longer, I need some air." Aiber laughed and waved his hand.

"If it means so much to your sanity, kid, just go out there, a little rain won't kill ya." Light scoffed, crossing his arms and turning back to his breakfast, which sat cold and unappetizing in front of him. "I'd rather not catch my death out there."

"I can assure you that a cold will not cause your death, get that stick out of your ass and go do something productive. Why not test my firewalls, actually, that is why you're officially here, ain't it?" Light shrugged, standing and placing his bowl into the sink, giving an apologetic smile to Wedy as she cleaned the pans in front of her. She didn't seem to notice him at all, waving nonchalantly as he left, he excused himself and made his way to L's room.

If Light was going to be honest he wouldn't call it a room but a cell. He still couldn't get over the fact that the poor thing was caged like an animal, no matter how much basis Aiber had for these precautions. Poking his head after a few rhythmic knocks, Light swung the door open and stepped inside. L seemed to be in a state of meditation, legs crossed as he sat in the middle of the room. The lights were dimmed and the green glow from the window gave the room a calming, tranquil feel. Perfect conditions for solidic meditation.

"Enjoying your morning?" L opened his eyes, gazing up as the man entered the room. He hummed his agreement and went back to concentrating on who knows what. Did robots need to meditate? Light had never been one for 'finding inner peace', he always found it to be a new age way of wasting time. He wondered if L felt stress, it would explain the meditation.

"How are you?" L hummed once again, giving Light no real answer.

"That's not exactly what I was looking for." Light said, seating himself in his usual spot, setting his cup down and relaxing into his seat. L sighed heavily, opening his eyes and pulling his legs forwards against his chest. He had begun wearing a grey sweatshirt and some jeans, claiming they made him feel more human. The fabric moved with the artificial muscles, creating the illusion of real muscles underneath.

"I am doing fine, as for yourself?" Light smiled, that was better.

"I can gladly say the same, it's raining though, a huge storm is supposed to be in the forecast which is disappointing because I wanted to spend some time jogging." L seemed to ponder this, biting his lip before speaking.

"You are telling the truth, but you have told me you dislike the outdoors." Light nodded, remembering the conversation and sighing. "Yeah, I've started to go jogging, it helps me clear my head. I get a little stuffy in the mind if I'm stuck inside for too long."

L smiled that one sided unusual smile. "So you know how I feel then."

Light frowned at this, shaking his head and gazing up apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to phrase it like that. I should've thought before I spoke, I'm sorry." This wiped the smile from L's face, he also looked up.

"You do not need to make excuses, I am not dull, I understand that we are not in equal standing, you have more freedom than me because you have what I lack."

"A human body?"

"No, a sense of humanity."

Silence dragged on for a few moments, Light staring forward but trying to avoid eye contact. He wasn't sure why L doubted his moral compass? From the interviews it seemed that L had a fully functioning empathy system. He commonly sympathized with the disasters that wrought humanity, lamenting the cruelty of famous serial killers and leaders. Even when L seemed to excuse the actions of those who supported the death penalty and murders taking place in prisons of gangs, Light still felt that this didn't inhibit L's moral compass. L seemed to have a complex moral standing that mimicked a real person to a T.

"Why do you think you don't have a sense of humanity?" Light retorted, finally making eye contact, seeing nothing in the android's eyes.

"Because how can I understand what I have never experienced?" Light lunged at this, answering without thinking it through.

"Easily! I can understand another person's pain without ever going through it! Of course you can understand and feel humanity without ever going through it. I understand the pain of giving birth even though I will never experience it, does that make sense?" L nodded at this, obviously not convinced but willing to listen.

"That is not the same though, you understand that the logic is flawed, correct? I cannot have humanity as I am not human. You do not understand the thought process of an animal because you are not one, as I am not human I cannot understand the sense of compassion latent to humans." Light scoffed at this before taking ahold of his cup of coffee and upending it onto this lap in a swift motion. The burning liquid immediately soaked through his pants and burned his thighs, but he got the reaction from L that he wanted. The AI immediately gasped, standing up and fumbling with his hands unsure of what to do.

"You foolish human, what the hell are you doing!?" L yelled, the blue hue under his eyes bright and icy. Light smirked, wincing at the burning on his legs.

"You see! You're concerned, you know I'm in pain so you're worried! You feel the same compassion that any other human does!" Light let out a quick laugh that ended in a low hiss as he stood, trying to get the soaked fabric off his skin. In hindsight that may not have been his best idea, but it had worked.

And with that brilliant point made, Light exited the room leaving L to wonder why he agreed to be interviewed at all.


	6. Chapter 6

After changing into a new pair of pants and tossing the soaked ones, Light returned with more coffee and a peace offering. Balanced on his palm was a pale blue dish holding a crepe, expertly folded and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Wedy was a very experienced chef and it had been mesmerizing watching her fry and clip the batter into the perfect little triangles in front of him. L however seemed perplexed when the dish was carefully slid through a thin opening in the glass reserved for books and other such tools given to him on occasion.

"What am I to do with this?" He asked, gazing at the plate and its contents as if it oozed poison. Light chuckled, setting his own plate down onto the side table and slipping a fork through the chamber. The metal clanged against the sides until it reached L's hand. Only replying with a short gaze at the object before firmly grasping it in his hands.

"What do you think you do with it?" Light retorted, taking a bite and nodding towards L's fork. Receiving a deadpanned stare in reply along with a huff of annoyance. L eased onto the floor, metal legs spread out as he balanced the plate onto his knees, Light peering over at him as he did so.

L scoffed, raising his head and tapping the fork against the dish. He prodded at the soft pastry with his fork before cutting into it. Toasted dough blanketed vividly red strawberries and pale bananas thinly sliced into the folded dessert. A zigzagging pattern of syrup blanketed the pastry and part of the dish.

"I promise it's safe to eat, you have the ability to digest its contents, I checked that with Wedy. Think of it as another test to see if you can handle human food." L nodded before taking a bite and swallowing, the motion rigid and unnatural. Light assumed he would get the whole chewing and swallowing thing down in time. Light took this chance and studied L's face for some time, hoping for a sign that he enjoyed it. After a few more small bites, still acting as if he was consuming glass shards, L looked up.

"It's sweet." Light retrieved his phone from his pocket, swiping at it for a few seconds before grinning. "It's called a crepe, they're French pastries, do you like it?" Light asked, holding his phone against the glass, the light beaming back creating a reflection in L's eyes. On screen were various types of crepes, people eating them and smiling, examples of how to make them and so on. L nodded, his head dipping naturally as he looked at the images scrolling down the screen.

"Yes, I do. I have never had anything like this before." Light smiled, returning his phone to his pocket and biting into his, foregoing the fork and wrapping a napkin around the base and lifting it to his lips. L tried to mimic this himself, chocolate dripping onto the plate and his fingers as he did. A look of disgust crossing his features as he licked the sweet syrup of them. The patter of syrup hitting against the plate synced with the rain outside as the two ate in a comfortable silence, enjoying the ambient noises coming from the storm above them.

"I cannot help but wonder how humans created these concoctions?" L mumbled, more to himself than anything as he continued to shove more pastry into his mouth.

"Trial and error, they mixed and bunch of ingredients together and hoped they got something good, and if not, they threw it out and tried again. Oh the power of human innovation." Light answered, stuffing another bite into his mouth, less graceful than before. L remained silent, eating with his head down as the rain overtook the room once more. The room was a little brighter by the time they had finished, the rain having passed and the sun struggling the overcome the clouds.

As the silence pierced the mood and turned it into something uncomfortable and brazen, L spoke. His voice melancholy and soft, as if he didn't wait to speak the words aloud.

"Light, will I be thrown out in the name of human innovation?"

It was then Light decided to depart once more, he couldn't answer his question without lying, and he knew it was best not to try and fool someone who already knew the answer by heart.

"How long until you create a new model?" Light inquired over glasses of whiskey, he and Aiber had surpassed the stage of taking shots and shooting shit. Ever since the discussion about Aiber's past Light's paranoia had escalated from inward to outward. It marked every interaction they had, Light was blunt now, the need to hide any suspicion had passed. They both knew they couldn't fully trust the other, so why try and play along any longer?

Aiber answered coldly, as if he was reciting a poem or a math equation. The air had grown silent after they had ate dinner, the plates discarded onto the living rooms low table, a single lamp providing the darkening room with light. A sharp, awkward tone had taken to the room.

"A few weeks, maybe a bit longer. I wanna see what this one can do first." Light scoffed, taking a sip and coughing to rid the burning from his throat.

"Have you told him he's terminal yet? Do you tell any one of them when they're going to be shut down for good?" Light retorted clinically as he looked towards the large windows surrounding the eastern wall of the room.

"That would be ridiculous, waste my breath telling some robots I'm turning them off, they don't feel pain so what's the use?" Light took interest in this and returned his gaze to Aiber.

"You didn't program them to feel pain? You mean I can go in there and tear his arms off and he won't feel anything? Not very human-like if you ask me." Aiber waved at him, as if he was a bug to be shooed. Light had seen L mimic this action many times before, he thought he had found where the AI picked it up from.

"That's not what I meant, kid. They feel physical pain, they have these sensory applicatiors, real high tech stuff they can feel a feather against their skin. It's the emotional stuff they don't have a grasp on. No model has shown the capacity for emotional pain yet, so why bother telling them when I'm pulling the plug?" Light frowned at this, crossing his arms as the liquid sloshed around his glass. He wasn't sure how to keep himself calm as the conversation quickly became a disagreement.

"He feels pain, he knows what's going to happen. It's inhumane for you to do this, it's like telling a chemo patient they have a clean bill of health and then watching them wither away. I don't know how you can act like this is a game. How many times have you even spoken to him?" His voice had raised slightly at the end, rasping from the drink and the anger that was ebbing into his vision.

"Stop treating it like it's a person, Light. It's not like us, it's not safe."

Light stood at this, he was sick of being ridiculed by a sociopath for daring to care about the human he was trying to build. "Well he sure as hell could fool me." He resigned, pacing to the window where he stood glaring at his reflection. Aiber nodded, raising his glass with a crooked grin and an uneven chuckle.

"Then I've done my job, if that thing can fool you into thinking it's an innocent trapped against it's will then maybe I have made a human. Too bad it's missing the emotional aspect or otherwise there might be some merit in it." Aiber took a long swig before setting his glass to the side, folding his hands and gesturing around the room. "You can't take me as a fool, can you? That thing had the emotional complexity of a toaster, and for a reason."

"He has emotions, he's shown happiness, concern, curiosity, anger, irritation, loneliness, all of those things and much more! Any of the emotions you can ramble off he can display, are you really not seeing this?" Light yelled, glaring at Aiber's reflection in the glass. The man was leaning back in his chair, staring at nothing, his eyes turned to the ceiling.

"All I see is an academy award winning performance played by a toaster who wants a little freedom." Light finished his drink, walking forward and slamming the glass onto the coffee table, turning his attention fully to Aiber.

"So you're saying he's manipulative?" Aiber laughed dumbly, coughing at the end as his hands shook with the alcohol. Darkened and cold, the room took on the atmosphere of a court house. The echoes and shadows having little permanence as the two argued, the sun finally leaving to the east for a better place to rise.

"That's exactly what he's doing kid, he's using you. Just watch, once it learns that you can't help it get out of here, it'll turn on you. Just like it turned on me." Aiber raised his arm then, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a long scar tearing through his forearm and down to his wrist. The skin was mauled and faded pink and red, the surrounding skin was raw, fractured like a window with red lines etching into the skin, the injury had been sitting for quite some time but still looked agonizing.

"I tried to tell it that I wasn't going to let it out into the forest, I argued with it, damn that thing was determined. I made the mistake of doing this after testing the things ability to chew and swallow food. Slammed a glass of water down and tore into my arm, if you ever wondered why there's a thick pane of glass separating you two it's so you don't end up with a shard of glass sticking out of your throat." He rested his arm back onto the armrest, glumly looking towards the hallways connecting the main living quarters and the labs. The humming from earlier was still audible, lower and quieter but ever present.

"You can't let this thing fuck with your head kid, remember whose side you're on. Because I sure as hell hope you know I'm on your side."

Light remained silent as his breath evened.

"Don't let it under your skin, kid."

"Did you really hurt him like that?" Light questioned, it was 1:47 am, the building was desolate and quiet. Light had risked coming to question L when he knew Aiber would be asleep, no doubt with Wedy by his side. He knew the recorded times of the power outages, when L would cause a malfunction in the building's cameras and audio equipment. Aiber always slept through them, stating that even if the cameras failed to keep that thing in check the glass and stone wouldn't budge an inch.

So he had slipped from his room in nothing but a pair of slipper and his sweatpants and had roamed the pitch black halls until he found the crimson glow leaking into the hallway from under the door. With as much care as he could muster, he opened the door and entered L's line of sight.

The AI hadn't said anything, standing hunched in the red glow, bathing silently in the light and looking morosely towards the door. Light's voice filled the room, quiet and rushed, filled with worry and disbelief. He didn't feel right accusing L, but he had to know for his own sake.

"I do not understand, Light Yagami. What are you asking me to confirm?"

Light couldn't stand the blank eyes gazing at him with undetermined innocence. He sighed, his hands cutting through the air as he questioned the being before him.

"Did you attack Aiber with a shard of glass." L's gaze didn't waver, he looked on without answering. As if the answer was obvious but Light wouldn't say it.

"Aiber has never entered this room when I am turned on. I am wirelessly shut down before any repairs or maintenance, I have never seen anyone besides through this glass wall. I have never had the chance to touch anyone let alone hurt them. So no, Light, I have not attacked Aiber, nor do I wish to bite the hand that feeds me." L answered, the same monotone hum everpresent in his voice filling the room in place of the louder, mechanical one.

"You're telling me the truth?"

"I have no reason to lie to you, Light, as I will never see you except behind these walls I could have told you I had murdered ten humans and it would make no difference. Besides, I would never lie to the ones I care about, is that not the show of humanity that you had wanted me to admit?" Light swallowed as he stepped closer to the glass, the red glow reflecting off of it and warping the color of L's frame.

"How do I know you're not trying to manipulate me, L? How can I know I'm not a tool for you to use in your escape, one that you will toss aside once you learn I'm not useful to you?" L sighed, gazing into Light's eyes.

"I do not wish to escape, Light, there is no freedom in escaping, there is only fear and hiding, and the anger one feels at the unfairness of the situation. I want to walk free, I want to succeed in being a human so that I can walk beside you out of this place, I do not want to leave this place as a malfunction or a fugitive, I want to become human. Can you understand that?"

Silence overtook the room as the humming resumed once again. Neither shadow spoke, the humming overtaking Light's thoughts as L let out one last thing.

"I think I understand the concept of love."

Light turned, the ghosting feeling of emptiness and fulfillment filling his chest and dragging his heart into his stomach. He hated this feeling with a passion and wished the feeling would subside rather than continue to erode his composure like ocean waves. Light didn't answer as he opened the door.

And as the lights flickered and the crimson burnt into black, Light returned to his room with more questions than answers. But with the resounding feeling of guilt and shame chained to his back like an anchor.


	7. Chapter 7

He couldn't stand being sober anymore, the high that he had been riding off of the last couple of weeks was gone. With everything that had happened he couldn't help but feel numb, like something had dragged his willpower down and was holding it hostage. It was the same feeling he felt back home sitting in his drab office 24/7.

 _I think I understand._

Never in his life did he think he would get the opportunity to work with such a genius programmer. He never thought he would get the chance to witness the creation of an AI, a machine able to perfectly mimic human actions. He never thought said AI would pine after him like a schoolgirl. What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

He needed a drink desperately. He was sick of being awake, of thinking, of worrying over a fucking piece of metal. He didn't want to care so much about this stupid project carried out by a narcissistic hermit anymore. His legs were sacks of rice as he walked down the hall, heading directly toward the bar. He hardly registered grabbing a bottle of brandy and collapsing against the mini fridge, drinking until he passed out. His back pricked with freezing needles as he leaned back against the metal fridge. The liquid burnt as it slid down his throat, but in a way it was calming and nostalgic. This was the only way he would get enough sleep to be able to focus tomorrow let alone sift through this mess and find a solution.

Wedy was the one to discover him the next morning, he woke up to the feeling of a blanket being thrown onto him, his neck crooked and throbbing. He appreciated the gesture even if it did wake him. She stood over him stoically, only nodding as he opened his eyes wider. It was blurry and the room wouldn't hold still.

"I'm...shit, I'm sorry, Wedy." Light muttered, trying to straighten his neck and cover his eyes from the light streaming in from the windows. Wedy bowed slightly, going to the blinds and closing them. Light stood, hissing as the ache flooded down his spine in a stream of pain. Leaning against the bar for support he reached for the empty bottle that had rolled against the counter during the night.

"Well look who's finally awake, how are you feeling, Princess?" The strong french accent greeted him, booming and echoing into the room as Light's vision stopped swimming. He dropped the bottle into the trash, stumbling against the bar and giving a pathetic wave. His words were still slurred as he spoke.

"Morning to you too, sorry about last night, I'm not really myself right now." Aiber nodded approvingly, slapping his hand onto Light's back and helping him stand steady. "Whatever would lead you to that conclusion?" Aiber snickered, motioning to the bottle gleaming in the trash can.

"Thought maybe coming here was a little AA for you, guess not." He quipped watching Light give a weak grin and reach for the blanket lying at his feet. Aiber grabbed it from him, throwing it aimlessly onto the couch and motioning for Light's attention.

"I told you to be careful, it's fucking with you, kid. Trust me it did the same to me and I have the scars to prove it. Bet you're glad it's only costing you some sleep?" Aiber let out a hearty laugh, patting Light on the back a few times before walking into the kitchen, flipping on a light switch as he did.

"Come grab some breakfast, we'll lay off the merlot until you sober up!" Another laugh reverberated from the kitchen and Light made his way, albeit dizzily, towards the room. As Light eased into his normal spot, he glanced at Aiber with confusion.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure kid, knock yourself out." Light placed his arms onto the table, resting his head onto them and sighing. The words came out a bit clearer, his tongue still made of cotton as it filled his mouth.

"Has it tried to fuck you?" Light expected for Aiber to start swearing at him, berating him about getting to close to 'the thing'. But instead he started laughing again, long and hard, running out of breath by the end of it. Aiber settled down and grinned wildly at Light, disturbing the hungover youth. Light hated that smile, he had added to the long list of things that made Light wary of the man, he was a caricature of what a con man was.

"No, are you telling me you've seduced my robot?" More chuckling and toothy grin. Light sighed and raised his head slightly, annoyance evident in his eyes. Wedy set a plate of toast down, her own small smile barely hidden as she attended to breakfast. He wondered if she actually understood the question or was only mimicking Aiber in an attempt to understand. He was honestly too tired to care as the thought was drowned by the more relevant issues in his mind.

"No-no, I, that's not what I meant. He's been acting weird, you know? Well weirder than normal. He keeps asking about human emotions and stuff. I didn't mean to phrase it like I did." Aiber's grin calmed into a more relaxed version of itself.

"What can I say, it craves knowledge, I programmed it that way. Can't be surprised it wants to know all about human biology. I didn't program it with a sex drive so I think you're in the clear." Light laughed hesitantly. "Good, I mean, I was just curious, wanted to make sure."

Any leaned it, side eyeing Wedy as she seemed to listen in on their conversation. "Don't get so full of yourself kid, I don't think it fancies you that way. Now on the other hand if you wanna fuck a robot it can be done, just not that one." Aiber replied, stuffing his face full of eggs and winking at Wedy who let out a giggle.

"You have sex robots?" Light let out, face red and eyes wide. He honestly should have expected this from Aiber, why would he be surprised that he had some fuck-me dolls lying around somewhere.

"Well, no not yeah, still working on those! I have so blow up dolls though, those should do the job without any lip!" Light groaned and shook his head. He honestly wished he hadn't said anything.

"Forget I said anything, I think I'll be alright going celibate." Aiber shrugged and sifted through the mess of papers on the table top, rifling through until he pulled out his tablet, flicking it on. As he went to take another drink of coffee, he sighed. Flipping the cup upside down and shaking it dramatically at Light, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Wedy, café s'il vous plaît?" Blonde hair bobbed as she gazed over he shoulder, nodding and retrieving the glass.

"Still no English from her?" Light asked, gesturing slightly and looking back at his food. He could feel his pulse in his head and the thought of eating made it pound harder. He might have to pass on breakfast if his stomach kept churning like this.

"She's working on it, knows the basics at least. Isn't that right, Sweetie?" Wedy gazed over her shoulder nodding, the smile still lingering.

"Yes!" An enthusiastic chirp came, the first time Light had heard her speak. She had a sweet voice, deep and airy, a small hum filling her voice. Light wished she would speak more often, it was a nice alternative to Aiber's rough tone.

"I can tutor her some if you want, I have nothing better to do after the security rounds are done." Aiber nodded, continuing to eat as read an article off his tablet. "That'd be nice, she might like another speaking partner, says I make too many bad jokes to really teach her." Light smiled as he sipped some coffee and grimaced as it slid down his throat.

"Are you interviewing it again today?" Light gave out a drawn out sigh, leaning back as he bit into his toast. It was a little dry for his taste, he could use some jam, but at least it went down smoother than the coffee. "I don't know, I can't just not show up, he's been enjoying our talks and I'd feel bad to leave him alone with no word like that." He swallowed down the rest of his toast and stood, legs still weak.

"I think I might shower and pop in for a few minutes. Thank you for breakfast, Wedy. I appreciate the help this morning. I'll be back out here by two if you want to work on her English and need an extra teacher." Aiber waved as Light stumbled out of the room, scrolling absent mindedly through the news, humming as he read through the heading.

"Good Morning, Light." The metallic voice sounded worried, the tone uneven and nervous. L's small frame was bent more than usual, seemingly concerned over something. Light payed little attention to him as he sat, steadying his gaze past L and onto the wall behind him.

"How was your night?" Light responded, still not making eye contact.

The room dimmed suddenly, red bathing the two and startling Light. He heard Aiber scream from the kitchen, an indistinguishable curse as he too noticed the lack of power.

"I will make this quick, I apologize for last night, Light. If you wish to leave and discontinue or talks I understand." Light sighed, listening for Aiber's footsteps, waiting for him to burst into the room at any second. But it was silent outside the room, only the faint sound of Aiber yelling, assumably to Wedy about the surprise outage.

"Did you mean what I think you meant when you said you understood?" Light hissed, looking back to L as he bowed his head farther. He didn't answer, only bobbed his head slightly in answer.

"How can you understand, you're not alive! You're a robot, a lifeless machine! You don't understand human emotions, otherwise you wouldn't have stabbed Aiber!" L's head snapped up at this, the blue hue brightening as his face took on a look of disgrace.

"I told you I did no such thing, can you not see that he wishes to isolate me further! I want to prove my humanity to you, I want to show you how human I can be! I have tried so hard to show you that I have no ill will towards humanity and yet you believe his lies!" The metallic voice rose, the droning hum low.

"Why can you not believe me? You are the first person to listen to me and see my potential, I am so grateful for that. I do not know how to prove that to you."

Light was silent as he considered what L was saying. "You stabbed him, that's how he got that scar, there's no other way."

"He got that cut from me the same way he got caught by the Swedish mafia, Light." Light's mouth went dry as he tried to make excuses for Aiber's countless stories, the lies and plot holes he kept finding.

"He's my ally, he's only looking out for me, no matter if he has to lie to do so." Light muttered, his gaze falling to the floor. Aiber's screaming in the other room had stopped but he could hear the pedaling of his exercise bike in the background.

"Why would he tell you these lies, Light? He is using you as another tool in his research, he does not care about your well being. Otherwise he would tell you that Wedy is not human, he would be honest about his origins, he would not lead you to believe in these tales he tells." Light's head whipped up, staring L in the eyes, he looked sincere, no trace of deceit on his face.

"She isn't human..." He voice cut off, he couldn't form the rest of his sentence, the cotton returning to his tongue.

"She is something of a predecessor to me, you did not really believe she was human? She never leaves his side, knows little English and serves him with no protest. She is what he wishes to make me, a slave to market to the public, a companion he could advertise. 'A completely sentient servant to drink tea with!' Open your eyes Light." Light shook his head, it made sense now. He had always been suspicious of her, of both of them, but this made so much more sense.

"Light, you need to understand this. I am your ally, I have not deceived you as he has. I love you, so I shall stay loyal to you. Whether you believe this and join me, or you condemn me for it, that will not change." L extended his hand, the wires running down his arm glowing brightly. Metal fingertips touched the glass, leaving no imprint. Light mimicked the action touching his hand against the glass.

The same genuine smile L always held returned as he gazed at Light through the glass. He withdrew his hand, motioning for Light to do the same.

The lights returned viciously, burning Light's eyes as L spoke up.

"See they came back, they always do. I told you I don't control when they come or go." Light smiled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I can see that."


	8. Chapter 8

"I need to take some time away to work on my security maintenance duties." Light let out, disliking the knowing grin on L's face as he spoke. The room was bright with artificial light, the windows now clear as the sheet of metal that encased the glass when security breaches (such as the lovely power outages) occurred had retracted. The minuscule amount of sunlight streaming into the room through the rain.

"Of course, when will I see you again? This is not the end of our interviews, correct?" Light nodded and stood back, relaxing his shoulders as he tried to seem natural. He could feel the security cameras burning into his skull but dared not to look their way. It was best to act as if the cameras didn't exist. It was only natural, he never paid mind to them beforehand, so why would he now?

The sound of the rain against the glass and the pattering of an impatient foot brought him back from his thoughts.

"No, I think I'm getting a permanent position sometime in the future, so I'll be back later and we can continue our talks like normal. Work just comes first, I mean it's the reason I'm here." L nodded with a light in his eyes, the prideful look of keeping something hidden that only he and Light knew about reflecting in his eyes.

"Just try to keep those power outages under control if you can. Maybe charge at night so they won't affect our work during the day." Light laughed, watching as L scowled at him and lifted his nose up in disgust. The once prideful look now replaced with irritation, Light was unsure if it was genuine or if L was acting along as he was.

"I will not be blamed for what I cannot help, but I will try as you have suggested. Whatever will make your work easier, Light." He spat, looking past Light and to the clock on the far wall. Light glanced back, checking the clock and nodding as it was about time for him to leave.

"Well then I'll see you later. Don't give Aiber too much hell, alright? No biting the hand that feeds you or whatever they say." The corner of his mouth lifted at this as he turned to leave, winking coyly as he left and laughing at L's expression as the door closed behind him. L simply crossed his arms and scoffed. Mentally congratulating Light for being able to act so well under such short notice. He would have to ask him if had any acting experience the next time they spoke.

"You really need to figure out what's wrong with his charger, those power outages are starting to get annoying." Light called into the living room as he entered, honing in on the bar and seating himself. Picking his discarded water bottle off the counter and tossing it from hand to hand. Glancing at Wedy perched on the couch and then to Aiber as he occupied the treadmill.

"Only if the toaster wants to stop causing them." Aiber huffed, his voice wavering as his head bobbed up and down, he was jogging at a steady pace with his back facing Light. Clearly more interested in his workout than in the previous security breach.

"He says he has no control over them, and I'm inclined to believe him. He kept jabbering on about how he doesn't think it's fair he's blamed for them when he has no control over them." Light said, taking a drink and looking in Aiber's direction. The rain hadn't stopped, still pouring and flooding the small patio just outside. Everyday the weather seemed to get worse and worse, the rain lasted longer and longer with smaller breaks in between the showers.

"Remember what I said, it'll play with your head." Light nodded, letting out the air in his chest, his feet kicking against the metal bar stool.

"I guess so, sorry, I guess he's getting to me." Light tried to laugh, but all that came out was a pathetic rasp of air as he took another drink of stale water. He wondered how water could go stale like that, the bottle had only been out for a few hours. _Water doesn't even have a taste._

Aiber continued to jog, gazing back at Light's reflection then glancing over to Wedy seated in the corner with a textbook in between her thighs. "So what did you talk to it about today?"

Light set down the bottle and leaned back against the counter, shifting his weight and crossing his arms. "Nothing much, actually. I told him I had to take some time away from our interviews to work on a project for you. He took it okay, a little disappointed but okay."

"Then we talked about those outages and then he tried to tell me a few jokes he'd found in those books you gave him. By the way, why are you letting that thing read shitty joke books? Are you trying to torture me? He can't deliver a joke worth shit."

Aiber chuckled, raising his hand and waving it a bit. "Maybe I wanted to be a stand up comic at some point, found a bunch of old joke books and decided that maybe I could live vicariously through a toaster?" Light laughed, he couldn't really see Aiber as a comedian, the man carried to much of an aggressive air to be able to deal with hecklers. He would imagine any comedy career would be short lived if Aiber ever had the chance of a confrontation with naysayers in the back of a bar.

"Doesn't suit you much, I'm guessing you just ran out of books to give him and was too lazy to order any off amazon." Aiber grinned and pointed a finger at him, twisting his arm at a weird angle to do so.

"Bingo, kid!" Light groaned and rested his head against the surface of the counter as he slouched in the stool.

"Great, good thing I don't have to hear them for a few days. You need to program some comedic timing into him." Light proposed, his head still pounding from last night's mistakes and the thudding of Aiber's feet making it worse.

"I'll consider it, kid." With that Light removed himself from the bar and walked past him and out of sight.

[AN: I have been super sick the last two weeks with some pretty bad medical complications. I feel bad for not updating so I'm just gonna post what I had finished of this chapter before I got sick. Sorry.]


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